Some churches around the world have moved toward online giving – church attendees can go online, tithe a certain amount of money, and have that money pulled directly from their bank accounts or credit cards. It’s especially popular with parachurches, where one megachurch is at the center and satellite churches watch the services on television. And while the trend has made giving easier for some, Ministry Today reports that “many Christians remain hesitant to use a method they believe is susceptible to fraud, theft, and error.”

The magazine claims online giving is secure and makes it easier to make recurring gifts to a church. This is also helpful for church leaders – if they know member X will be giving $50 a month, they can plan ahead for how to use those funds.

On the other hand, the magazine warns that online giving makes it easy to forget the importance of developing face-to-face relationships with congregants and thanking those people for their gifts to God/the church.

What do you think? Is online giving a scam? Or is it a convenient tool for giving?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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Latino Christian organizations and leaders aren’t sure…

Some organizations, like the National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC), say a boycott would serve as a way to bargain with the government for immigration reform. They want 12 million undocumented Latinos be granted status as legalized citizens.

Other groups, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, say it’s important to be counted in the census and that immigration reform activists should look elsewhere to make a statement.  The census helps the government determine how to allocate resources and determine representation.

The U.S. Constitution states that a census must be taken every 10 years to count all Americans (citizens or otherwise). CONLAMIC president Rev. Miguel Rivera retorts, “If they’re good enough to be counted, then they should be legalized. It’s immoral and dishonest to use them in order to slake our communities’ thirst for funds.”

There are around 10 million Latino immigrants in the United States. If the boycott catches on, a huge number of people could be missing from the 2010 census.

What do you think? Should Latino Christian organizations support the boycott?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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Today is the 57th annual (US) National Day of Prayer. This morning President Obama signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.

Instead of formally praying in public following the proclamation (as Bush did), Obama cancelled the public prayer event and prayed privately instead. According to Religion News Service, one official explained it this way: “President Obama is a committed Christian and believes that we should be engaging Americans of faith in efforts to renew our country.”

Still, Focus on the Family and other Christian organizations are criticizing the president for cancelling the public prayer.

What is National Day of Prayer?
An annual event, the National Day of Prayer was signed into law by President Truman in 1952. Initially the organization and event were created as a way for members of the Christian and Jewish religions to express faith publicly and pray for the United States. Each year, like today, the president signs a proclamation encouraging such prayer.

So what’s the big deal?
Obama didn’t cancel/repeal the annual event. He just chose not to pray in public. Was his decision the right one, in lieu of diversity issues? Are there other factors at work (e.g., his previous controversy with the religious right and his choice of Rick Warren as the pastor to lead the post-inauguration prayer)? Should he have repealed the entire event? Should he have prayed publicly? What do you think?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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Following are some upcoming (and current) religious holidays.

JUDAISM:

Passover (or Pesach): April 8-April 16

Commemoration surrounding Passover relates to Exodus 1-15. In the Exodus portion of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), Moses tells the story of his and the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. God inflicted 10 plagues on the Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The 10th was the plague on the firstborns. In this plague, God said he would pass over the houses in Egypt and all firstborn sons within those homes would die. But he told the Israelites to  put blood of lambs on their doorways and he would pass over their homes. After this came to pass, the Israelites were led out of Egypt. Today, Passover is a remembrance of both God’s sparing the Jews and the Jews escape to freedom. Learn about specific Passover rituals and traditions online.

CHRISTIANITY:

Holy Week: April 5-April 11; Easter April 12

Holy Week marks the last week of Lent, just before Easter. Events during Holy Week commemorate events leading up the crucifixion of Jesus:

• -Palm Sunday (April 5): Last Sunday marked the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
• -Spy Wednesday (April 8): This isn’t really celebrated, but this marks the day when Jesus’ disciple Judas Iscariot betrayed him to the chief priests; read about this in the Bible’s New Testament.
• -Maundy Thursday (April 9): Thursday commemorates the Last Supper which led to the Christian ritual of communion or the Eucharist. Jesus was initially commemorating the Passover feast (the Jewish seder).
• -Good Friday (April 10): Friday commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion.
• -Holy Saturday (April 11): This is the night before Easter; Christians, particularly Catholics, often attend worship services on this night.

Holy Week leads up to Easter Sunday, April 12, when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Learn more about Easter online.

SIKHISM:

Baisakhi: April 14

Learn about this Sikh holiday on ReligionTranscends.com.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends 

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Some religious leaders are concerned that students in theological seminaries (including future rabbis and pastors) aren’t learning enough about sex and gender issues, according to a recent program from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.

According to the program: “The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality is a nonprofit group that helps promote sexual health in faith communities. The Institute recently studied 36 seminaries across denominational lines. The study found an ‘overwhelming need’ to better educate and prepare future religious leaders in the area of human sexuality.”

While seminaries may discuss sexual harassment, pastors say these additional topics might be important to learn about, in order to be prepared to minister to people of all sexual orientations or to know how to counsel those with sexuality-related problems:

• Teen sex
• Infidelity
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues, including gay marriage and gay clergy
• Cohabitation

Others argue that it’s not the seminary’s job to provide such education – it should be learned on the job. Regardless, the Religious Institute received a grant to introduce sexuality courses to seminaries and practicing ministers.

What do you think? Would you go to your religious leader for help regarding issues of sexuality? Do you expect your leader to have the knowledge to counsel on such issues if necessary? If so, where should they learn about sexual topics?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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Ever heard of “de-baptism”?

According to Religion News Service, Britain’s National Secular Society offers certificates of de-baptism for people who have been baptized as Christians and would like to remove themselves from the faith.

The society also supports the production of “There’s Probably No God” banners on British busses. Produced by the British Humanist Association, the busses made headlines just weeks before NSS began printing their certificates.

Learn more about NSS and the certificate initiative.

What do you think? If someone doesn’t believe in God, wouldn’t that imply they don’t believe the act of baptism was valid? And if that’s the case, would de-baptism be necessary? Or is this a way for the anti-religious to publicly separate themselves from religion?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends. 

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Recently, a spotlight has been placed on religious leaders in the Episcopalian denomination, some of whom have adopted beliefs of religions other than Christianity. Accusations of syncretism and pluralism may force some religious leaders out of the priesthood – one in particular could be forced out this week.

What is syncretism?

Syncretism is the merging of multiple religions or faiths into one worldview or belief system. This may include the practice of multiple religions and associated rituals; it may also include a blending of beliefs.

According to Beliefnet.com, syncretism is common in Asia. And Americans are used to cafeteria-style religion where they select the beliefs and practices that work for their worldviews and lifestyles.

But does syncretism cause a believer to dilute core beliefs so much that they no longer uniquely believe in any one religion or idea? If so, can they really call themselves a follower of any religion? And how can competing claims be reconciled? For example, traditional Jewish believes show Jesus as a regular man, while Christians consider him the Messiah, Son of God. The Episcopalian Church, a Christian denomination, is currently struggling publicly with these issues.

Syncretism in the Episcopal pulpit

Ann Holmes Redding is an Episcopal priest in Seattle who practices both Islam and Christianity. She believes she can practice both – but Rhode Island Episcopal Bishop Geralyn Wolf (Redding’s superior) wants to remove Redding’s status as a priest. Wolf argues that Redding has abandoned Christianity by converting to Islam and suspended her priesthood in 2008.  According to USA Today, Redding was supposed to recant her Islamic faith by March 30 or she would be expelled from the priesthood. No word yet on whether she recanted – but she told newspapers last year that she had no intention of recanting.

Like Redding, Elected Episcopal Bishop Kevin Thew Forrester (of the Northern Michigan diocese) practices Zen meditation and is lay-ordinated in Buddhism. He has not, however, taken Buddhist vows nor does he consider himself a Buddhist. He claims to simply borrow practices from Zen Buddhism to guide his Christian meditation on God. But many Episcopalians are trying to prevent Forrester from becoming fully ordained as bishop. No word yet on whether he will get all 120 votes necessary to move from election to ordination.

Find other examples of syncretistic religious leaders at Beliefnet.com.

A move toward pluralism?

If multiple beliefs are fully believed – in other words, if one really does consider himself fully Christian and fully Muslim – this is the idea of pluralism. Pluralism implies that a diversity of beliefs and practices are fully adopted and accepted. This is much different from the typical exclusivist attitude of many religions, in which that particular religion is believed to be the only way to the goal. Pluralism implies that multiple religions can lead to the same goal.

So will the Episcopal denomination move toward pluralism? Christianity Today suggests it wouldn’t be a surprise if they at least discussed it. The magazine quoted Wade Clark Roof, religious studies professor at UC-Santa Barbara, as saying, “Clearly there are people, including religious leaders, [who find] spiritual wisdom in faiths other than their own…(which is) in some respects good in an age of global religious diversity when tolerance and respect are essential to our peace if not our survival.”

Church leaders seem to worry the focus on Jesus as Savior would be lost in a pluralistic faith. So it doesn’t seem likely Episcopalians will all become pluralists anytime soon.

See what else Christianity Today has to say about America’s shift toward religious pluralism and the “crisis” in the Episcopalian church.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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Earlier this month, Pope Benedict XVI said that condoms will not solve the HIV epidemic in Africa (before he embarked on his trip to Africa).

This was the first time the current pope had addressed the use of condoms. He said condoms will only make the AIDS crisis worse – the solution lies with good morals.

In protest of the pope’s comments, French activists threw condoms on the square of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris last Sunday.

Right-wing French youths responded to the activists with signs saying, “Leave My Pope Alone.” A clash erupted between the two groups and three people were arrested, according to AFP Reuters.

What do you think? Is the pope condemning a possible solution — or is he doing the right thing?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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The following overview of the Society of Friends was written by Religion Transcends writer Jackie Walker for the Spring 2009 issue of Relate magazine. Relate’s mission is to inspire teen girls to pursue their dreams with confidence and to teach them to be an example for others in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Religion overviews may have Christian overtones to make the content relatable for the Christian teen audience.

What would it be like to be the president’s daughter? What would you wear? Who would you meet? What would your school look like?

If you’re President Barack Obama’s daughters, you enter the classroom with secret servicemen at your side. Your family pays $30,000 a year for your school tuition. Your classmates have been warned not to talk to the newspapers. And even though you’re not a “Quaker,” your school is founded on the Quaker religion.

Here’s what you would need to know about Quakers and Quaker education if you were the president’s daughter.

Fact file

Name: “Quakers” is a nickname for the Religious Society of Friends. The group gained the nickname when its founder told a government official to quake upon hearing the name of God.

Numbers: 210,000 worldwide

Founder: George Fox (1624-1691)

History: Fox wasn’t satisfied with the churches around him in England.  Feeling God spoke to his heart when his heart was ready to listen, he decided people needed to listen to Jesus on their own.  After challenging churches and the government with his ideals, he was imprisoned eight times; over 6,000 of his followers were also jailed. Things were not any easier when the Quakers came to America in 1656. They were persecuted and some were killed until William Penn (founder of Pennsylvania) became a follower and showed people that Quakers wanted peace.

Main beliefs: Quakers don’t follow a set of beliefs. Instead, each person is supposed to follow her “Inner Light” or her own understanding of what God wants. This means many Quakers believe different ideas – but they all agree that Jesus is the most important belief. Therefore, many Quakers identify themselves as Christians.

Worship: Each week, Quakers gather for a worship meeting. It’s simple: Anytime two or three people meet in the name of Jesus, that’s considered worship (see Matthew 18: 20). There are no rules, no schedule, and no priests or pastors. Instead, Quakers believe each person can be moved by God to figure out what’s true and good. During a service, they sit in silence for an hour, waiting to be moved by God to speak (ready to listen, like Fox). If moved, a Quaker may speak to the whole group, either reading Scripture, praying, or talking about an experience or idea. As you can imagine, sitting in silence for an hour became a problem for some people over the years. In 1827-1828, a major separation of the Quakers took place. Some groups of Quakers began meeting in giant buildings with pastors, singing, and schedules. Others continued to hold meetings in small buildings with no leader and simple silence. The divide remains today.

Dress: In the past, Quakers wore “plain dress” or simple clothing that would not take attention away from God. Most people stopped wearing plain dress in the 20th century and today most Quakers dress like everyone else.

Peace: Quakers stand against war, injustice, racism, and all forms of violence. Instead they seek harmony, peace, justice, diversity, and equality for all people. After all, if all people have the “Inner Light” of God within them, it would be wrong to hurt people. This idea has led many Quakers to become “conscientious objectors,” refusing to join the armed forces and even refusing to make war goods and weaponry. Such refusal has led to imprisonment for some Quakers and death for others. But Quakers continue to actively work against violence and for peace. As a result, they have been successful in promoting women’s rights and human rights – and they were among the first to lead the anti-slavery movement in both England and the United States.

Inside the school

Quakers began founding schools around the time our founding fathers were forming our nation. They were among the first to teach pioneer children on the western frontier. After the Civil War, Quakers raised funds to educate thousands of former slaves.

Obama’s daughters (Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7) attend the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, the same school that former first daughter Chelsea Clinton attended while her father was president. The first daughters aren’t Quakers – but only five percent of students at Sidwell are. Still, the school promotes many Quaker ideals mentioned in the above fact file – peace, unity, independence, and equality. The girls attend a weekly service, sitting in silence for an hour. In class, they will be taught to listen to God, to learn about the world, and to go out into the world to do good things. Based on these practices, it’s not so surprising that Obama chose a Quaker school for his daughters.

Want to know more about Quaker life or Quaker schools? Check out Quakers in America by Thomas D. Hamm (2003), available in part at www.books.google.com.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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The following overview of Catholicism was written by Religion Transcends writer Jackie Walker for the Fall 2008 issue of Relate magazine. Relate’s mission is to inspire teen girls to pursue their dreams with confidence and to teach them to be an example for others in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Religion overviews may have Christian overtones to make the content relatable for the Christian teen audience.

It’s full of mystery. Saints. Nuns and monks. That sign followers make with their hands before they pray. Yes, it’s full of mystery. Yet in some ways, the Catholic Church is also easy to figure out.

Catholics are Christians and therefore believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that He rose from the dead so their sins could be forgiven. All other Christian churches are known as Protestant (this includes denominations like Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, and so on). Unlike Protestant churches, the Catholic Church claims to never have split and today is larger than any Protestant denomination. Following is a quick guide to understanding the Catholic Church.

People

The Pope: The Pope is the person with the most authority in the Catholic Church and is elected to his position. Before Jesus died, he told his disciple Peter to build His Church (the people who would keep the tradition going after his death). Since Peter’s time, the Catholic Church claims to have had a person in his position who speaks with the authority of Christ and guides Catholics throughout the world.

Priests: Priests are in the line of the other disciples of Jesus and must go through a process of education and discipline before they can lead a church. They are given the power of Christ to forgive sins, to preach, and to oversee sacraments (see “Sacraments”). It is tradition that priests do not marry, and women cannot yet become priests.

Monks and Nuns: Monks and nuns are men and women who may live separate from the rest of society or who may remain active in the community (as with monks who run hospitals or nuns who teach in schools). They are religious orders and must follow a strict set of rules, including remaining free from marriage and wearing specific clothing (like the “habit” for nuns).

Mary and Saints: Mary, as you may know, was the mother of Jesus. Catholics do not worship Mary. Rather, they honor her for her purity, her motherhood, and her closeness to Jesus. Similarly, saints are honored for the good lives they led and for miracles associated with them. Catholics may ask Mary or the saints to pray with them or for them, as they are closer to God and may plead with those in need.

Objects

The Bible: The main sacred text used by Catholics is The Bible. The Catholic Bible includes 73 books, while Protestant denominations use a Bible with 66 books. (When the Protestant churches broke away from the Catholic Church in the 16th century, they decided some of those books were of lesser importance and did not need to be included).

Icons: Icons may be pictures, statues, and other objects that show images of Christianity. Catholics do not worship icons, nor do they pray to the icons. Rather, icons are meant to remind people about God and the stories of Jesus.

Holy Water: Holy water can be found in a large font, or bowl, at the entrance of a church or at the front of the church. Catholics may dip their hands in the water as they enter the church to cleanse themselves of sins and impure thoughts before they begin worship. It is also used in blessings and some sacraments (see “Sacraments”).

Practices

Mass: Mass is the name for the Catholic worship service. During mass, Catholics pray, priests give a homily (sermon) and receive the Eucharist (or communion, see “Eucharist”).

Sign of the Cross: Typically before prayer and upon entering a church, Catholics “cross themselves,” or make the motion of tracing a cross in the air. This is called the sign of the cross and, like icons, helps Catholics focus on Jesus and his death on a cross.

Sacraments: Sacraments are rituals or events that mark a step in life. In Catholicism, there are seven: Baptism (becoming a child of God), the Eucharist (see “Eucharist”), Confirmation (at age 12, committing oneself to the church), Marriage, Holy Orders (becoming a priest), Anointing of the Sick (praying for healing or praying before someone’s death), and Penance (confessing sins to a priest and asking for forgiveness).

Eucharist: The Eucharist, also sometimes called Communion, traces its roots to the Last Supper. There, Christ declared that bread and wine were his body and blood and that, after his death, people should celebrate that meal together to remember Him. Catholics believe the bread and wine actually become Christ’s body and blood. When Catholics eat the bread and drink the wine, they become one with Christ and as a Church. As such, it is considered the central ritual in Catholicism.

Find news related to Catholicism on ReligionTranscends.com.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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